Supercars in the Seventies
Lamborghini continued to define the supercar in the ’70s, building on the success of the dramatic Miura with the brutal and startling silhouette of the Countach. But Lambo’s nemesis Ferrari was never far behind, and the two Italian thoroughbreds dominated the market, with a succession of beautiful supercars throughout the decade. Despite the threat of the global oil crisis, the Germans started to muscle in on supercar territory with the rare BMW M1 and Porsche’s upstart sports car, the 911 Turbo.
Browse our GBU-style pick of the decade’s landmarks below – and vote for your favourite supercar decade in our poll
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Make and model
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Year
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Price
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Engine
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0-60mph
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Top speed
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1973
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£14,610
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4390cc flat 12, 360bhp, 311lb ft
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5.4sec
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175mph
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For
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Pininfarina’s styling set the look for Ferraris until well
into the 1980s
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Against
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Ferrari’s answer to the Miura arrived seven years late
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Verdict
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A seminal Ferrari for styling and engineering, too often overlooked
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Ferrari’s first mid-engined V12 was good enough to stay in production for nine years, bridging the huge gap between the Sixties Daytona and the Testarossa of the Eighties
Related Articles: Other Ferrari stories
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Make and model
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Year
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Price
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Engine
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0-60mph
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Top speed
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Porsche 911 Turbo
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1974
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£14,749
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2994cc flat six, 260bhp, 253lb ft
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6.0sec
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155mph
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For
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The car that took the 911 into supercar territory; a legend was born
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Against
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Everything you’ve heard about the handling of early cars is an
understatement. A rollercoaster drive
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Verdict
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Is it a true supercar? Drive one and try to deny it
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What a transformation: the first 911 Turbos had terrifying handling, evil turbo-lag but only around 260bhp. Modern 997 iteration has power and grip in spades – but it’s taken 33 years of development
Related Articles: News | Car reviews | Other Porsche stories
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Make and model
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Year
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Price
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Engine
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0-60mph
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Top speed
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1974
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£16,134
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3929cc V12, 375bhp, 286lb ft
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5.6sec
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174mph
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For
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In production for 16 years, and still gob-smacking now
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Against
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It took them most of that time to make it driveable and reliable
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Verdict
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Say supercar and you picture a Countach
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How did Lambo top the revolutionary Miura? By slotting the engine and gearbox not just transversely, but backwards into its successor, and getting Gandini to produce an even more extraordinary shape. Adorned many a bedroom wall to keep Athena profits sky-high
Related Articles: Other Lamborghini stories
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Make and model
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Year
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Price
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Engine
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0-60mph
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Top speed
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1978
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£26,810
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3453cc straight six, 277bhp, 239lb ft
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5.8sec
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161mph
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For
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Spawned the Procar F1 support races: often better than the main event
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Against
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‘Only’ 277bhp in road trim
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Verdict
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There’s been a supercar-shaped hole in BMW’s range ever since
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BMW’s only mid-engined supercar nearly never happened: Lamborghini was asked to develop it, then almost went bust. Built in tiny numbers (fewer than 500), but the glorious straight-six lived on in the first M5 and M6
Related Articles: News | Other BMW stories